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We’re Going on a Teddy Hunt

May7
We're Going on a Teddy Hunt

We’re Going on a Teddy Hunt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re Going on a Teddy Hunt

Martha Mumford

Cherie Zamazing

Bloomsbury, 2026

24pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781526671714

We’re going on a teddy hunt.
Come on, sleepyhead!
Can you find our teddies
before we go to bed?

Barley, Biscuit, Bramble and Boo, the bunnies of Hoppity Hill, continue their hide-and seek, look-and-find adventures , this time in search of their teddy bears that are hiding but need to be found before bedtime. As they scour the countryside, they meet lots of other little creatures settling down for the night, and anticipation builds as the sky turns pink -will they get home before bedtime, especially when they are caught in the storm?

Like its predecessors, this one has all the rhythm from the rhyme and repetitive text  and lots of flaps to peek under that little ones love as they build those early literacy skills that underpin their own reading, at the same time as they build their vocabulary finding familiar and not-so friends hiding beneath the cleverly-concealed flaps in the charming illustrations. 

This is one of those timeless series that epitomises what a book for early readers should encapsulate – familiar characters having fun against beautiful, imaginative backdrops and developing all the essential concepts about print and it deserves a place on every little person’s bookshelf so they can share it with themselves time and time again. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

Murray the Ghosthunter

Mar2
Murray the Ghosthunter

Murray the Ghosthunter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murray the Ghosthunter

Adam Stower

HarperCollins GB, 2026

192pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

 9780008740795

Murray the cat enjoys living the good life with Fumblethumb the wizard, a life made even better when Fumblethumb accidentally turns one of Murray’s favourite buns into a bunny, complete with a cherry for a tail.  But when he messes up again and turns the cat flap into a gateway to adventure, instead of just the garden, then the fun really starts…

This time, when Bun goes through the catflap and Murray has no choice but to follow him, they find themselves in the stately home of Lady Daphne and her husband Geoffrey Hogchester.  Except rather than a grand mansion, the house is dark, dusty and covered in cobwebs and Geoffrey is a skeleton! Sort of.  And that’s just the way they like it because their house is supposedly haunted, bringing in tourists from around the world.  But the problem is Morris the ghost has disappeared from his home in the rusty, creaky suit of armour and they need him back!

Told as much in the illustrations as it is in the text, this is the fourth in this series for newly independent readers consolidating their skills that uses the common trope of having an everyday object as a portal to other times and places – this time to the quintessential English village and life of yesteryear that ensures television programs like Escape to the Country continue to pull in the viewers.  But whether Murray and Bun can actually find a ghost and if they do, whether they can persuade it back to haunt the Hogchesters’ home is an intriguing story that will keep young readers turning the pages to the end. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

As the new school year gets under way and a new wave of almost-independent readers come through the library doors in search of something new and fun, this is the ideal series to tempt them with as it not only supports their developing skills but its format almost verges on the graphic novel that is popular with their older peers, making them feel like real readers, perhaps even becoming a portal itself to other adventures in the Land of Stories. 

And if the previous books – Murray the Viking, Murray the Knight, and Murray the Pirate  are not yet in your collection, this could be one to give to your review Committee of reluctant readers to read, review and recommend.

A Tiny Little World

Feb22
A Tiny Little World

A Tiny Little World

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Tiny Little World

Joel Sorrensen

Little Steps, 2025

32pp., hbk., RRP $A26.99

9781923306257

Far out deep in space lies a Tiny Little World and on that little planet lives a lonely little lizard named Rexy, who would dearly love a friend.. But when there is a loud thump  and a space explorer emerges from a space craft. things are about to change as Rexy is invited to join the quest to find the mysterious lost (misplaced) red beacon. , Will this new thing change Rexy’s life?

This book is dedicated to “all aspiring young artists” who are urged to “pick up a pencil and start drawing” and use their imaginations to create “heroic characters who save the world, or friendly monsters of all shapes and sizes” and that appears to be what Sorrensen, himself, has done. For it is the colour and the crazy creatures that capture the imagination in this story as Rexy and the space explorer pursue their quest in this fast-paced adventure. There is even a page to colour followed by a blank page with an invitation for the reader to draw their own planet or a new friend for Rexy.

In fact, each page is so full of colour and detail that the story itself is almost overwhelmed, and it could become a robust game of “I Spy” as young readers are drawn into this imaginative world to discover if the space explorer finds his beacon and more importantly, if Rexy finds a friend, particularly as the space explorer cannot stay. 

A peek inside...

A peek inside…

 

 

 

Bravepaw (series)

Aug22
Bravepaw (series)

Bravepaw (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bravepaw (series)

Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria

9781761180552

Bravepaw and the Clawstone of Rotwood Mire

9781761180569

L. M. Wilkinson

Lavanya Naidu

A & U Children’s, 2024-25

192pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

Known as Titch to her friends, Tithonia Proudleaf, is a young mouse who loves all the old stories about Bravepaw the hero who saved Alluria from monsters all those years ago, and dreams of being a warrior – which amuses her best friend Huckleberry and infuriates her mother, particularly as she practises her swordplay instead of looking after the pufflings.

But Bravepaw’s adventures were a long time ago, the stuff of legends, and now, she and Huckleberry live with their families on the Plateau, the safest and most boring place in Alluria, where there is a need for farmers and thatchers, and stonemasons and puffling herders, – but no need for warriors.  High above the Great Forest , protected by cliffs too steep to climb and too high for birds to fly, Titch longed for adventure but as she stood on the edge of the farm at the edge of the cliff thinking about throwing her sword over ,and then turning her back because she couldn’t quite bring herself to do it,  something was emerging over the edge… It was a hare soaring over the clifftop on a hang glider with a sword and staff with a crystal on top strapped to his back,  and an urgent message for Titch to gather all the best warriors because the Curseworms were coming…

Written and formatted for younger, independent readers, with plenty of monochromatic illustrations that reflect Naidu’s passion for building worlds, this is an absorbing tale that engages right from the get-go and keeps the pages turning as a curseworm ignores the pain inflicted by Titch’s wooden sword and curls itself around her…. Even though her mother has told her that there are many ways to be brave and that it’s not all about swords and battles, will she and Huckleberry find the wherewithal to outwit and outsmart their captors? Can she emulate her hero and keep the heartstone safe?

With the first in the series shortlisted for both the Book of the Year for Younger Children, Australian Book Industry Awards, 2025, AU and Best Children’s Fiction, Aurealis Awards, 2024, AU, this is a series  that is going to captivate those who are venturing into this genre and like fast, action-packed adventures in which they can see themselves in the role of the hero, knowing that they can follow Titch on her quest in subsequent adventures –  the third is due in 2026 – that are just as enthralling. Perfect for continuing this year’s CBCA Book Week theme of Book an Adventure. 

We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt

Jun28
We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt

We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re Going on a Treasure Hunt

Martha Mumford

Laura Hughes, 

Bloomsbury, 2025

22pp., board book., RRP $A14.99

9781526637384

We’re going on a treasure hunt. Yo! Ho! Ho!
Help us find the golden coins … Arrrrr! Off we go!

 

Fresh from their Christmas elf chase, the four intrepid bunnies are off on another adventure, this time as sea-faring pirates looking for treasure. Boarding their ship they sail off to a desert island in search of the golden coins, encountering all sorts of creatures on their quest.  There are 10 coins to be found and young readers will delight in seeking them under the flaps as they pore over the detailed pictures and help the bunnies see what’s in front of them. 

Treasure hunts never lose their appeal, and now, in this new, board book edition of this episode in this popular series, even younger children can discover the fun of looking and lifting the flaps to see what is hidden beneath, as well as learning about those things traditionally associated with pirates so they are building their understanding of what is a popular theme for many authors,  while  enjoying the rhythm and rhyme of the text, repeated in a pattern with a lot of onomatopoeia to heighten the reading experience and appreciate that stories are wonderful entertainment.

With so much to see and do, this is likely to become a firm favourite that takes our youngest readers away from the grey days of winter to a summery sun adventure. This is going to delight my preschoolers this morning, particularly when I show them the others in the series that they will also be able to explore.  And one for the little ones to go with this year’s CBCA Book week theme, “Book an Adventure’. 

Fantasy Adventure Trilogy

Apr3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scarlet Defender of the Universe

James Davis

Dotty Sutton

HarperCollins, 2025

240pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9780008653620

 

Heartseer: The Tale of Anise Star

Rowan Foxwood

Usborne, 2025

336pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9781803707372

 

Inkbound- Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo

Philippa Leathley

HarperCollins, 2025

384pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

9780008660956

The genre ‘fantasy adventure’ is described as combining “the elements of fantasy (supernatural, magical, and often imaginary worlds) with the adventure genre (epic journeys, quests, and exciting undertakings), resulting in stories with magic, danger, and exploration.”  Unique landscapes, societies and cultures are the background to seemingly ordinary human characters embarking on personal quests that involve action, risk and danger and usually in company or conflict with imaginary beings to quell the malicious intent of those who seek to harm them.  As they seek to ensure that good triumphs over evil, often with unique and mysterious powers, they also learn much about themselves, who they are, what they stand for and what they can accomplish and achieve as regular people.  

Popular since the days of Enid Blyton’s Magic Faraway Tree series when young readers transported themselves away from the horrors of World War II to lands where fairies, elves and other magical beings dwelt and life was so different to their lived reality, continued through the 50s as my generation went through the wardrobe into Narnia, then brought into the realm of the modern young reader through the exploits of Harry Potter and his friends and  the making of the movies based on Tolkien’s classics of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings  trilogy, and perpetuated through any number of video and computer games, it is a firm favourite with independent readers across the ages.  Those written for children not only allow the child to dwell in an alternative world that may be more appealing than the one they are in, but also enable them to become the hero with both power and powers that the real world denies them.  They are in charge, they are calling the shots and making the decisions – something rare in the  pre-teen’s life.

Therefore, these three new releases from British authors will fit the genre, the demand and the library collection perfectly.

Scarlet Defender of the Universe, is a smart, 9-year-old redhead who answers an advertisement for the role of Defender of the Universe to prove to her annoying younger brother that it’s not a real thing. Thus, she’s a little surprised to be told that she’s got the job and is now responsible for the safety of the entire galaxy. Along with her co-Defender Jasper, Pom-Pom, the cutest alien in existence, and Bot, the cleverest AI robot that’s ever been invented, Scarlet is thrown into a whirlwind adventure that takes her to the furthest reaches of the cosmos and back again, on a mission to prevent the destruction of planet Earth by an alien species who will do anything for a warm cup of hot chocolate.

In Heartseer: The Tale of Anise Star the reader discovers that there are more deities and daemons in the world than stars in the sky but only Heartseers like Anise Star can see them because only they still believe… Anise’s job is to help humans and daemons live happily together. But when the villainous Mr Babbitt tries to steal her home in the White Woods and drive the daemons out, she is forced to travel to the capital to ask the High King for help. First, though, she’ll have to convince him that daemons still exist. Accompanied by loyal daemon-dog Wolf, Anise sets out on a spellbinding and treacherous journey, meeting magical musician Robin and fox god Whin, and facing the cunning Magpie Queen and a deadly poisonous ink monster. In the midst of her battles she learns that it’s not just the daemons of the White Wood she must save, but all the daemons of the world.

Inkbound- Meticulous Jones and the Skull Tattoo also has a female protagonist about the same age as the intended reader as on her tenth birthday, Meticulous ‘Metty’ Jones receives her fate, as all children do, in the form of a magical tattoo on her hand. She hopes that her tattoo will reveal an exciting destiny: travel, discovery or adventure. What appears is a skull in the palm of a violet glove – Metty’s fate is to be a murderer.  When Metty’s father disappears in mysterious circumstances, Aunt Magnificent takes her to the glittering city of New London, filled with magic, wonder and enchantment. But when Metty hears rumours of a shadowy organisation known as the Black Moths, she begins to suspect they are connected to her own dark fate …

Each feature those essential elements of the fantasy adventure genre with fast-paced narrative that draws the reader into both the setting and the action, while dropping tiny but important clues along the way whose significance only becomes apparent as the climax approaches.  There are elements that echo the reader’s world making the transition to the imaginary one seem more seamless as they take on the role of the protagonist as they are able to relate, perhaps even empathise, with the struggles they face, yet each features a lightness of touch that makes them ideal read-alones or read-alouds.  They also all seem to set themselves as the possible beginning of a new series that keen readers will seek out.

Currently, in the school library in which I volunteer, it is series like these that seem to be constantly circulating, so to be able to bring some new reads to the selections will definitely spike interest as our long winter nights approach. 

Dragons of Hallow (series)

Jun15
Dragons of Hallow (series)

Dragons of Hallow (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dragons of Hallow (series)

Spellhound

9781761180057

Fledgewitch

9781761067365

A & U Children’s, 2024

352pp., pbk., RRP $A17.99

The first in this series begins… There are Three Great Secrets in Hallow, a country that loves secrets almost as much as it loves green jellybabies. No, I’m not going to tell you anything more about them. I am a loyal citizen of Hallow, and would never betray—
Oh, you have jellybabies?
Green ones?
Well, I suppose I could tell you a little more.
Come closer. Open your ears and your heart, and pass the green jellybabies.
I will tell you a story about an enormous magical pup, a child Queen and a very small minch-wiggin with the unfortunate title of Destroyer-of-Dragons…

And continues with a tale of “falsehoods, fortitude and friendship” about how a minch-wiggin, a Queen, and a rather large magical pup need to find the dragon that has turned their worlds upside-down-even if it means revealing all they want to keep hidden…

Two years later in Fledgewitch, life has moved on and Queen Rose is now twelve, and ruling Hallow with the Regent, Uncle Edwin and this story centres on ten-year-old Brim taken by Count Zaccar and Countess Xantha  to the School for the Prevention of Witches  because are the three Laws of Quill, carved in stone outside every town hall, and learnt by every schoolchild:
There shall be No Witches.
There shall be No Dragons.
There shall be NO SECRETS.

But Brim, despite having feathers sprouting from her elbows, and being the only one who can remember Snort, the Horned Glob, doesn’t believe she is a witch, one to be feared and outcast because of their dangerous, evil ways.

And so the story unfolds in a tale deeply rooted with themes of family, faith, loyalty and courage with engaging characters who display all those traits that we expect as they are pitted against dastardly, devious villains.  With its length, its seemingly unrelated stories  as well as the twists and turns in the plot, and the opportunity to put clues together if they are picked up, this is a series for fantasy-loving independent readers looking for something to sustain them over long winter nights, best read in order and best to read the first to establish the characters and their history and relationships – although these may not be what they seem.  

For those who want to know more about the author and how the series came to life, read this Q&A. 

 

 

Mawson in Antarctica: To the Ends of the Earth

Jun14
Mawson in Antarctica: To the Ends of the Earth

Mawson in Antarctica: To the Ends of the Earth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mawson in Antarctica: To the Ends of the Earth

Joanna Grochowicz

A & U Children’s, 2024

272pp., pbk., RRP $A19.99

9781761180590

Sir Douglas Mawson. His face is on the $A100 note; he has streets, suburbs and places named after him scattered across the country; and  the longest continuously operating station south of the Antarctic Circle bears his name.

So who is he and what did he do to deserve these honours? 

To learn that we need to go back to winter in Antarctica in 1912, just months after Amundsen and Scott have reached the South Pole, and a young Australian driven by his passion to contribute to scientific knowledge leads the Australian Antarctic Expedition intent on establishing research bases on the continent and sub-Antarctic islands to explore and chart the east Antarctic coastline  and learn from it.  As disaster befalls his team and gradually they perish, Mawson finds himself alone but is so determined to take both data and specimens back to base that he struggles on alone for 30 days, arriving just a few hours after the ship sent to retrieve the party had left..

Mawson’s remarkable tale of determination, endurance and resilience is retold in this absorbing narrative non fiction, the latest addition to this series which includes the journeys of Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton . Using a range of primary and secondary sources, its polar historian author tells the stories of these early pioneers of Antarctic exploration in a way that brings them to life, with all their foibles and faults as well as courage and tenacity, engaging the reader in a way that facts and figures, bare statements and grainy photographs can’t.  

And for those for whom a 272page book might be a bit daunting, there is also Douglas Mawson in the brilliant Meet… series, so an  opportunity for all to know a little about this remarkable real here. 

My own connections to the Antarctic were outlined in my review of Into the White – Scott’s Antarctic Odyssey but these are stories of real-life heroes that don’t require that sort of legacy to inspire their reading – these are for any independent reader of any age who enjoys true stories of doing the seemingly impossible, particularly in times when it is the human endeavour rather than the technological wizardry that determine success or otherwise.  Who knows – introducing a young person to this series just might be the trigger for a lifetime.

The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast

Jun4
The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast

The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miss Mary-Kate Martin’s Guide to Monsters (series)

The Bother with the Bonkillyknock Beast

Karen Foxlee

Freda Chiu

Allen & Unwin, 2024

288pp., pbk., RRP $A15.99

9781761470226

Although a rather anxious child who prefers  to make lists so she can plan and manage her life because she doesn’t cope with change well, nevertheless Mary-Kate Martin has left the sanctuary of her grandmother’s home to travel the world with her mother whose life is spent on mystery-solving adventures such as why the Woolington Wyrm was causing such destruction in a quiet English village, and an equally strange creature was bothering Galinios, an idyllic Greek Island. 

In this third episode of this series for young independent readers, Mary-Kate and her granny are going to stay at a very quiet castle near a very quiet Loch in the Scottish village of Bonkillyknock. The perfect destination for reading beside fireplaces, going for long walks in galoshes and drinking cups of tea with Granny’s old friends. At least, that’s what Mary-Kate thinks.

However, this is no ordinary reunion – it’s a World Society of Monster Hunters’ conference. So, when an ear-shattering howl interrupts the convention, Mary-Kate isn’t too anxious. After all, the experts are on hand to investigate.

But when the castle kitchen is turned upside-down and the experts suspect the usually secretive Loch Morgavie monster, Mary-Kate isn’t sure the clues add up. Could there be some other kind of beastly problem bothering Bonkillyknock Castle?  Miss Mary-Kate Martin might only be a beginner, but she’s determined to get to the end of this monstrous mystery.

The first one in this series had me hooked with its setting in an olde English village, and so one set in a Scottish castle with its promise of a wild wintery landscape and warm comfort inside also had lots of appeal!  After all, there is a reason I live where I do.  And, like its predecessors, it is an absorbing read, even for one who is not a fantasy fan. As well as its appealing setting that just cries out for something out of the ordinary to happen, engaging characters and fast-paced action keep the reader turning the pages as they watch Mary-Kate develop from being that over-anxious child to one who is confident and more self-assured. And again, the beast is firmly grounded in local mythology – this time, the legendary highland fairy hounds known as the cù-sith (coo-shee) – perhaps sparking an interest in local legends.  What might Mary-Kate, her mother and granny encounter if they met an Australian bunyip or yowie? Perhaps, after researching them, they could suggest a plot outline for Karen Foxlee for the next episode, or maybe bring it to life in drawings as Freda Chiu has with the other monsters in the endpages of the story.  Or maybe just investigate the legendary creatures, totems and other emblems of the local First Nations peoples… 

So, as well as a captivating read, there is potential for so much more…

Shower Land (series)

May27
Shower Land (series)

Shower Land (series)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shower Land (series)

Break the Curse 

9781761342523

Feel the Freeze

9781761342530

Nat Amoore

James Hart

Puffin, 2024

208pp., pbk., RRP $A14.99

Monday morning and it’s time to get up but bed is a much warmer option.  But Dad is threatening all sorts of dire consequences if you don’t, and your little brother is cracking silly jokes so you hurry into the shower, turn it on and BAM!   Suddenly you find yourself in the middle of a field, naked, and an army of soldiers is heading towards you.  Or, having had that experience, you resist having a shower until you really smell, and this time you find yourself knee-deep in snow on the side of a mountain in your swimmers!!

Such is the life of 10-year-old Felix in this new series for young independent readers.  

Not since the infamous shower scene in Hitchcock’s Psycho  has taking a shower been so precarious because you never know where you might end up as it acts as a portal to other places.  Luckily though for Felix, while he finds himself in unfamiliar settings and times and his first priority is to find some clothes, he is able to find some friendly faces who are willing to help him find his way back home but not before he encounters characters with problems much more confronting than his own and for whom he is able to draw on his own family experiences to help solve, not only assisting them but learning more about himself and people generally, at the same time. 

This is a fast-paced series, with appealing, humorous illustrations and formatting to support the newly independent reader, that uses the portal trope to transport both the hero and the reader out of the everyday into worlds where anything can live and anything can happen – just the kind of escapism that is needed at times. Young lads will see themselves as Felix, others will relate to the single-dad scenario, there is the more serious underlying message of self-discovery that adds substance, and it is just the right length for a quick read that carries you along wanting to find out what happens to whom.

And with the promise of a third, Walk the Plank, in September, readers will have something to look forward to.